Traveling to school is about to get safer for Santa Barbara County, following Caltrans’ Oct. 9 awarding of $46 million to cities and counties throughout the state—including Lompoc and Santa Barbara County—for projects funded through the federal Safe Routes to School program.
The program is designed to help students in Kindergarten through eighth grade travel safely to and from schools.
“Safety is Caltrans’ number one priority, and this program will make sure our children’s travel to and from school is safe and healthy,” Caltrans Director Will Kempton said in a press release.
The funds will be used for safety improvement projects, such as new sidewalks, bike trails, and marked crosswalks. The funds will also be used for education and activities promoting safe walking and bicycling to school.
According to a press release from Caltrans, the city of Lompoc received nearly $379,000 to construct sidewalks and curb ramps throughout the city.
Santa Barbara County received almost $393,000 to be used for pedestrian pathways and curb ramps in the Montecito area. Funds for both of the projects are to be distributed by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.
Since the federal program’s inception in 2005, Caltrans has awarded $91 million for 219 Safe Routes to School projects. And in 2000, California became the first state in the nation to legislate a Safe Routes to School program.
This article appears in Oct 16-23, 2008.